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7.25.2013

Saving with Thred Up


Thred Up is an online thrift shop for girls, boys and women.
You can get quality used clothes or sometimes you can even find brand new clothes with the tags
still on them!
They have everything you can think of, 
anything from dresses, jeans, shoes, jewelry, hats, etc.
They have awesome name brands like Gap, 7 jeans, H&M, Forever 21, Lilly Pulitzer, and so many more to chose from. 
I have been searching for a skirt for Lilah 
and I found the exact one I've been looking for the other day on Thred Up and am so excited to get it 
and it's half the price of what it would have been in stores.



So if you're looking for something
and you just don't want to pay full price I highly recommend you go try Thred Up!
And you get free shipping on your first order no matter what so go buy.

7.17.2013

Teaching body image to kids



Katie from Loves of Life wrote a post that inspired my post for today. 
Her post wasn't so much on body image but on being in a moment with her daughter 
and not saying something that could start something in her daughter seeing her not love her body completely 
and she did not want that. 
But it put a spark into my brain about writing a post on body image and how I am going to try to deal with it when it comes to my kids. 
So thank you Katie for this post here.


First of all I want to tell all of you that you are beautiful!
Don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise. 
Our society has such a distorted view on what is beautiful
and we as mother's need to try to change that. 
Since I am a mother of both a son + a daughter...
I have to come at it from both perspectives::
How males view women 
and how women view women.


For Zane {+ any future son(s)}::
I am going to try to make it extremely clear that no matter what size a woman is 
they are still beautiful.
I want him to understand that even if you are larger 
you're still beautiful.
I am not a small girl and I have my problem areas which make me completely uncomfortable 
because of what our society has made me think is beautiful.
I get asked on a regular basis when I am due.
{which by the way if you are not 100% positive that someone is pregnant do not ask them when they are due. It is embarrassing for both parties and makes me feel like crap! 
Oh and it also completely pisses off my husband when someone asks me this 
because of how rude it is.}
Really I don't look pregnant at all...
I gain all my weight in my stomach 
and yes it's bigger than the rest of me but it definitely doesn't look like I'm pregnant.
I have cried many times when I've gotten home after a comment like that.
{Please people be considerate of others!}
Ok sorry so back to how to deal with it with Zane.
I don't want him to look at women and judge them by their size 
{or in any other way}
I want him to look at women and think wow she's beautiful 
or I would really like to get to know her because she looks interesting.
I know there have probably been people I have passed by in my life becoming friends with because of
the way that they looked...
and I D O  N O T want that for either of my children.
I want them to be friends with people because they are good people + are caring
+ loving + kind hearted.


For Lilah {+ any future daughter(s)}::
I want her to love herself no matter what she looks like.
I think she is the most beautiful girl in the world and so does her daddy...
I want her to look at herself + see beauty.
I want her too look at other women + see beauty in every.single.one of them.
I want her to look at her mama + think wow she's beautiful...
she's not perfect but she is beautiful.
I want her to know that no matter what anyone else says about her she is perfect in my eyes.
I will do E V E R Y T H I N G in my power to show her that.
I don't want her to look at someone + envy them for the way that they look.
I want her to love the way she looks.
I can't express enough that she is the most gorgeous little lady in the entire world
+ no one will ever be more beautiful than her.
Because in my eyes she is.
Plain + simple.


It's so important that we as parents try to teach our children how N O T to judge!
I want them to love people for who they are
+ not the way that they look.
So now it's time for me to love myself
+ stop hating the way I look.
I need my children to see me love myself so that they can love themselves.



** All photos courtesy of Lauren from Lulabell Photography **

7.08.2013



In order to help bloggers transition away from GFC as the main way to follow blogs, Northern Belle Diaries and Postcards from Rachel have teamed up to host I Love Bloglovin'. Google Reader is no more!
Now, let's get this party started!





Rules:

Follow Northern Belle Diaries on Bloglovin.

Follow Postcards from Rachel on Bloglovin.

Grab our button or link back to us in today's post.

Link up your Bloglovin' URL.

Visit 2 or more blogs!


1. Beth @ Design Your Dwelling  63. maria @ this life's beautiful moments  
2. Two Martinis (sponsor)  64. Lindsey @ High Heels and Training Wheels  
3. Amanda @ Living in Another Language  65. Chania @ Sassy Sweet Style  
4. Katy @ Adventures in Adulthood  66. kim @ Slice of Life  
5. Nicole @ Treasure Tromp  67. Jenni @ Flying on a Rainbow  
6. Kellie @ Delightfully Ludicrous  68. Oh Hey Brittany  
7. Kaileigh @ Somehow Chaotic  69. Sheryl @ Bellybuttons and Bows  
8. Jenn @ A Country Girl's World  70. Kaity @ brownie diaries  
9. Yuen @ The Craziest Paradigm  71. The Babbling Box  
10. Lost in Travels  72. Kym @ Travel Babbles  
11. Aukele @ 91 DASH  73. Elizabeth @ Army Ever After  
12. A Dose of Paige  74. Whispering Sweet Nothings  
13. Saxon @ Let's Drink Coffee, Darling  75. Beatriz @ Love Living Abroad  
14. Kendra  76. Ashley @ That hooah Life  
15. Belinda @ Found Love. Now What?  77. Beltreznest  
16. TeaberryTrails  78. Sandy @ Moments of Mommyhood  
17. Sydney @Always Without Words  79. Rachel @ My Wholesome Home  
18. Back to Bliss  80. Michelle @ On A Wing And A Prayer  
19. Jenn @ a traveling Wife  81. Christin @ Manicures & Extra Sprinkles..Please!  
20. Designing Around  82. Brunch with Amber  
21. Elisabeth @ My Cup of Sparkle  83. Stephanie @ Shades of Color Art  
22. Kerry @ Till Then Smile Often  84. Amber @ Dimples and Pig Tales  
23. Allison @ Always Allison  85. Michelle @ Jarrah Jungle  
24. Jaime @ {Toby's Tails}  86. MacKensie @ One to Nothin'  
25. Tiff @ The Fit Train  87. Cortne @ Coco in Magnolia  
26. Amanda @ Eloquent English  88. She Turned Her Dreams Into Plans  
27. Ashley @ The power of one Girl  89. Style Vancity  
28. Annie @ Annie's Noms  90. Traveling Cats  
29. Kenzie @ Chasing Happy  91. Besote: Love, Travel & the Good Life  
30. Through Crystal's Eyes  92. The Cottage Diaries  
31. Diane @ Vintage Zest  93. Erin @ Sugar Magnolia  
32. Traveling Cats  94. Jane @ Poppiness  
33. Vanessa Morgan  95. New Mama Diaries  
34. The Bradleys  96. Elizabeth @ Army Ever After  
35. Kara @ A Leap Into Love  97. Two Zero One | home + decorating + love  
36. la petite lulu  98. beautiful solutions  
37. Kara @ Kieran Honeybee  99. Plucky's Second Thought  
38. Lindsey @ Lounging with Lindsey  100. Northern Belle Diaries (HOST)  
39. Liz @ PINKx3  101. Postcards from Rachel (HOST)  
40. Katie @ Oh Hey Baby  102. Libby's Life (cohost)  
41. Dara @ The Southern Thing  103. Designer in Teal (cohost)  
42. Ready to waltz  104. iAManRD (cohost)  
43. Nancy @ My Eclectic Loft  105. Unintentional SAHM (cohost)  
44. A Modern Commonplace Book  106. The Comfy Crafter (cohost)  
45. Linda @ twin-mom.com  107. PB and Honey (cohost)  
46. Jennie @ The Diary of a Real Housewife  108. Aslan's Auspicious Albany Adventure (sponsor)  
47. Megalin @ My Random Lovelies  109. Venus Trapped in Mars (sponsor)  
48. Catherine@Bailey Dailies  110. Kisses and Croissants (sponsor)  
49. Diane @ DD Kimball Road  111. Patching Hearts (sponsor)  
50. Jackie @ City Girl Finding Her Place in the World  112. Chits & Giggles (sponsor)  
51. Summer Sunshine Stripes  113. Scarlet Words (sponsor)  
52. Autumn @ The Unreal Life  114. Mason, Like the Jar (sponsor)  
53. Callie @ First Comes Love  115. With Love, Rachel (sponsor)  
54. Jordan @ all the small things  116. Rainstorms & Love Notes (sponsor)  
55. Amy @ A Glimpse of the Gouglers  117. Life With A Side of Coffee (sponsor)  
56. Chels @ Red Velvet Rooster  118. Pearls & Curls (sponsor)  
57. Katie @ Crinkled Crown  119. Jade and Oak (sponsor)  
58. Rachel @Brachel Boulevard  120. We Took the Road Less Traveled (sponsor)  
59. LaShawn @ March to December  121. Felicitous Fruition (sponsor)  
60. Homeschool Memo  122. A Classic Notion (sponsor)  
61. Lisa @ Chronically Content  123. Arrow in the Eye (sponsor)  
62. Fibromyalgia Odyssey  124. 'Cause You Gotta Have Faith (sponsor)  

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7.04.2013

shop la bella via giveaway

I am super excited to bring you this awesome giveaway from 
Shop La Bella Via my sweet, sweet sponsor.
She is giving away an adorable balloon print customized with your child's name 
AND 
a notebook of your choice! 



I am seriously obsessed with her shop and want
this notebook
this iPhone case and this one,
and 
these adorable notecards!

Good Luck! :) 

Quote PiYo CHALLENGE PACK: DEFINE YOURSELF AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY OFFER!
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